The Art of War
by Sidena
Summary: "All warfare is based on deception." A quote he has come to know all too familiarly, especially when he was an 'orphan' in a world where people with superhuman abilities were considered 'normal'. Disclaimer. not mine. Warnings. m/m pairing, mentions of child abuse, and whatever else I decide to add. SI. Pairings undecided.


"If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle."

― Sun Tzu, _The Art of War_

|l| - |l|

Panic encompassed her when she realized she couldn't breath, an overwhelming need to get air through her lungs throttled the common sense that said to _swim up_. Instead, she was frantically kicking her legs, hands around her throat, fear in gray eyes. She couldn't say anything.

Bubbles escaped from her mouth, a silent scream loud in her mind. Then the burning came back, much more real and much more physical. She realized with a horrible, terrible understanding, _she was sinking_. All the air was gone out of her lungs. Now, all she was doing was inhaling water. And it burned as it went down her throat. It burned as it filled her lungs.

Her feet soon stopped kicking, her hands dropped from her throat, and from below the water's surface, she could see the bright moon. She could see it, but her eyelids was heavy, her body was heavy - and then there was nothing. Just numbness and -

|l| - |l|

"Before my bed, the moonlight shines/Could it be the frost, covering the ground?" Naruto looked around the playground, hearing the androgynous voice near his usual spot, though above his training post. "No, instead I see in one of the clouds/The smoke from her funeral pyre." It was then, he looked up, seeing a flash of bare feet and legs, swinging back and forth over a tree branch.

Hesitation obvious, it smoothed out and turned into a cheerful mask. The poem? was a bit morbid, but at this point, Naruto was desperate for someone to talk to, someone that wouldn't look at him like he was scum and wouldn't spit at his attempts at conversation. "In a cloud, it disappeared/A circle once spoken-"

"Oi!" Not the most elegant way to draw attention to himself, interrupting what sounded like the beginning of a nice poem, but it wasn't like Naruto had experience with people, or any _positive _social experiences. So really, this was polite for him. "What're ya doin' up there?" Not that it wasn't obvious, but he didn't expect what the figure did next.

Legs tightened around the tree branch and flipped backwards, what Naruto could now identify as a child - about his age - landed neatly in front of him. "I was reciting poetry, was it not obvious?" The kid's voice didn't sound as venomous as most civvie's did, it didn't sound like anything at all. Monotonous and blank, the blonde didn't know what to expect. So, instead, he started thinking of an answer, giving himself enough time to see what the other looked like.

Short, shorter than himself - which was an accomplishment considering Naruto didn't really have a nutritious meal-plan - and had a sort of a dull, boring face. Naruto still didn't know if the kid was a girl or a boy because (s)he had long hair, braided and it was the pretty color of ramen noodles. Kind of yellow, but not? But her/his face was... cute, once you looked at it more.

"Well, why're doin' it inna tree?" It was a pointed question, because never has Naruto ever heard a _normal _person doing it. The boy's? face didn't change at all, replying without inflection, "Because people are loud and ninjas are quiet. Should there ever be a ninja, I wouldn't know. Because they are _silent_." His eyes, the color of miso broth, looked directly into his own blue eyes. There still wasn't any malice, even if it was an obvious barb at his volume.

So Naruto took it a bit further. "Well, I ain't a ninja and I ain't a people so can I stay and listen?" The boy looked at him in consideration, head cocked like a curious puppy, though face still the same. For a full five minutes, there was silence, an effort for the blonde.

"... alright..."

The boy scampered up the tree, and when Naruto looked at the branches wearily, the other offered a hand up and pulled with an easy show of strength. Once both were comfortable, Naruto stared at the boy and the boy stared back. Both were curious, though one was less noticeable than the other. At once, they introduced themselves.

"Uzumaki Naruto, future Hokage!"

"... Gōkyū Hizuke."

"What a weird name, **crying **and **days**?"

"How rude..." Hizuke deadpanned, light brown eyes darkening in showed irritation. "...and also hypocritical coming from **fishcake**." For some reason, his voice still sounded blank, as if he didn't really care about this conversation at all. It didn't sound careless though, Naruto knew what that sounded like, instead it was... without emotion. Stoic or apathetic, he could never tell the difference between the two.

Back to the conversation, it seemed like Naruto was confused by the word 'hypocritical', though it quickly cleared up as he got the gist of what Hizuke was saying. "It's not fishcake!" He shouted, lowering his voice at a look form Hizuke. "It means **maelstrom**, dattebayo."

"Exactly. Refrain from insulting my name and I shall do so as well."

The blonde cocked his head to the side, "Why d'ya use such big words?"

Hizuke copied the movement. "Why do you use such crude speech?"

Once again, they spoke at the same time.

"I live in tha Red Light D'strict."

"Bullies are stupid."

For once in their short conversation, Hizuke looked a tad uncomfortable and if Naruto didn't know better, a bit guilty. "I apologize for my already formed opinions," What went through that braided head's mind wasn't known to Naruto, but it must've been important if he was saying sorry. "My problems pale in comparison to your own, and for me to think you spoke the way you did because you were idiotic was boorish."

While some words Naruto didn't get, he understood enough that he was both insulted and being apologized to. It was a strange situation, especially when it was usually one without the other. "No need ta 'pologize. You can stop calling me names though and no problem is lesser than another... ya know... unless someones gonna die or somethin'."

The quote, 'From the mouth of a babe," came to mind.

Hizuke nodded solemnly, "I shall keep such wisdom in mind." A parody of a smile curved his lips then, eyes a blank state. "**Unless someones gonna die or somethin'.**" Hearing perfect street slang coming form such a perfectly dressed child was a bit unnerving to Naruto, Hizuke could've passed off for a _regular_if he could speak so... slang-ish without that noble accent most people got, sounding silly at the same time when they tried.

"How do ya do that?"

"Excuse me?"

"The copying thing, you said 'xactly what I said 'xactly the way I said 'em."

"Oh, you mean like this, '**The copying thing, you said 'xactly what I said 'xactly the way I said 'em.' **It isn't that hard, observation helps a good deal."

"Could ya teach me?"

"Perhaps."

"I'll teach ya how'ta pick locks and sneak into the Hyūga Clan Compound, or I can-"

"Teach me how to pick locks and I'll teach you how to mimic."

"...deal"

And that was the beginning of a beautiful friendship... **ish**.

* * *

**Read and Review.**

Coming up...

**"When did you get here?"**

**"... I've lived here for the past three years."**

**"Right next'a me?!"**

**"... loud as ever..."**

And...

**"Why are we in Hyūga Compound." It didn't sound like question.**

**"Cause I told'ya, I'll sneak ya in here!"**

**"Why do you always have to yell? And I didn't agree to this."**

**"Too late..."**


End file.
